Pastor Ross Arnold
Lakeside Presbyterian Church:
“Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.”
This is what Christians all over the world will proclaim on Easter morning. We believe Jesus Christ was and is the divine Son of God, who came to earth as a human man, was betrayed, falsely accused, beaten, tried and executed, and that on the third day He defeated death and rose from the grave. And we believe that by dying on a cross he took upon himself the sins of the whole world and so redeemed us.
Do you believe it?
As you think about that, let me say that if Christians are right and Jesus was raised from the dead, then NOTHING will ever be the same.
You see, human beings were made to be in relationship with God. But we were separated from God by our own sinfulness, and by ourselves we’re not able to make the relationship right again.
There are a lot of big theological words to describe this, but bottom line is that on that cross Jesus took the blame for everything that had kept us separated from God, and so he was able to reconcile us to God.
If Jesus really died and was raised from the dead to bring us back into relationship with God the Father, then we never again need to ask or wonder what our lives are for.
And if Jesus really conquered death and rose from the grave, he proved death is not the ultimate end for us. We can know what our lives are really for, and we can live them to the fullest – without the fear of death.
Because of the resurrection, everything has changed.
“Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.”
Pastor Lawrence C. Trotter,
Christ the Redeemer Presbyterian Church
In his 1726 “Political History of the Devil,” Daniel Defoe wrote, “Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed.” Benjamin Franklin popularized the sentiment as “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Is this received wisdom actually correct? Are death and taxes really so certain?
While there certainly are taxes (April 16 is almost here!), there are also tax evaders. While there certainly is death, are there death evaders (in addition to Darth Vaders)? Well, no. We are all going to die, either before April 16 or sometime afterwards. Is that all?
Christianity has a remarkably hopeful answer to this question: Jesus died and bodily rose again from the grave, giving the same opportunity to those who believe in him. For this reason, Christians have long recited these parallel lines of the Apostles’ Creed: “The third day He rose again from the dead” and “I believe [. . .] in the resurrection of the body.” These two dramatic declarations stand or fall together. Either Christ rose and his people will rise with him, or Christ did not rise and we’re all merely worm food.
Happy Easter!
Father Winston Welty, vicar of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Riberas del Pilar
Before Easter, Christians find Jesus in the events of Holy Week: His Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, His arrest and trial, His death and burial. As we re-enact this solemn drama each year, we deny Him, betray Him, and crucify Him anew.
But where do we find Him after Easter, this One who defied death and redeemed us, who reconciled us to God and one another? Certainly not in a distant place, a dim memory, or a spring sentiment. So where do we look for the risen Lord?
He is in the circle that opens to admit the stranger. He is in the tears of those who suffer, the hurts, the wounds, the brokenness. He is in the accused and the victim, in the forgiver and the forgiven. He is in the hands of those who heal. He is in the reconciling act. He is in the compassionate response. He is in the certainties, and in the ambiguities. He is in the breaking of the bread, the sharing of the cup. He is in our joy at loving, being loved, knowing, being known. He is in our delight and wonder at the whole created order: the opening of a flower, the sure flight of a bird, the laugh of a child. He is in the darkness of the wakeful night, and the brightness of the new morning. His Name is written on our hearts, and we find Him in prayerful obedience and in the proclamation of His holy Word. He is here. He is now.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Brother Bob Hendrick,
Pastor of the Lake Chapala Baptist Church
The Easter thing: I am not sure where the tradition of hunting eggs that have been hidden by a rabbit originated. (I will check Wikipedia later.) The first Easter did not involve people looking for something good.
Those who went to the tomb of Jesus did not go expecting to find Jesus alive. His closest followers, to whom he appeared, did not gather in that upper room to discuss the theological implications of Jesus’ resurrection or to make plans for spreading good news. Peter, for example, had denied knowing Christ when Jesus was being tried; and even after having seen Jesus alive again did not expect to be used to spread the news of sins forgiven and death conquered. They were not looking for a savior who would change them on the inside. That understanding came unsolicited as the resurrected Lord taught them for 40 days and as the promised Fortifier, the Holy Spirit, worked in their hearts.
I was raised to believe “goodness” was good. And I thought I was pretty good, until one day God did a work in my heart that showed me that the worst kind of badness is human goodness that keeps one from seeing his need of the power and provision and pardon of God. And though I was not looking, I found a Savior whose death paid the penalty for my sin and whose resurrection proved that he is the Son of God as he claimed and is able and willing to save and change all that come to him.
That is the Easter thing.
Father Danny Borkowski,
pastor of Christ Church
Anglican, Ajijic
St. Paul wrote the following words to the Christians at Philippi about the power of the resurrection of Jesus:
“I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:8-14)
We too often think of the Christian life as leading to “everlasting” life, perhaps forgetting that mere life without end might be at least boring and perhaps even quite distressing. Remember hell? The promise of the gospel of Jesus is about a totally new and different kind of life, a life powered by His Resurrection. We will be “plugged in” to that power if we are in Christ. Like Paul, we must be prepared to lose everything else to obtain that prize.
Jesus is recorded as saying in John 10:10 that he came that his sheep may have life, and have it abundantly. In his final prayer in John 17:3 he tells us what this new kind of life is: to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. May we be his sheep blessed with this wonderful new life powered by the Resurrection life of Jesus!
Father Alfredo Arreola A,
San Andres Apostal Parroquia, Ajijic
We began Lent with Ash Wednesday remembering what the sacred book of Genesis says – “Remember man, you are dust and to dust you will return.”
We could say that our entire life is an unending Lent, that our entire life is a time of preparation for eternal life, for bliss; but let’s not lose sight that the center of our faith, our most important celebration is Easter.
Even though we have great veneration for the crucified Christ and the dead Christ, and we venerate him under different manifestations, we can’t stay with the dead Christ, but the living Christ who triumphantly beat death. That is the center and culmination of the Easter mystery that with God’s favor, we live at Easter.
What was the Resurrection Festival like in ancient times? The old Christians had no bigger day than that marking the Resurrection of Christ. It was the day among days. Kings would free thousands of convicts and the rich would call on the poor and absolve them of their debt. Those who had fought asked for forgiveness and hugged each other swearing eternal friendship in front of the multitudes. Wars came to cease fires. People wore new clothes and ate well and were happy on that Sunday because it was the most important of the year. Many gave special alms to the poor or visited the sick. Everyone wanted to do something special to celebrate this fiesta that is the most important of all Christian festivals.
It is a shame that these traditions are disappearing and people are placing more importance on other festivals rather than on the Resurrection.
Some Old Testament figures representing the Resurrection were Isaac, who came back from nearly being sacrificed on the mountain to be the father of a great people. Joseph was taken from the underground jail to a high office in the king’s government. Jonas came out alive after three days in the whale’s belly.
Saint Paul says “Our faith would be in vain if Christ had not resurrected. If Christ has resurrected, then so shall we resurrect.” (1 Corinthians 15).
Salutations and a message of hope for this Easter. May we all celebrate this greatest of all days.
Father Manuel Sonora,
St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Guadalajara:
Americans, Canadians and people from other English-speaking countries find out that the meaning of Easter is completely different in Mexico. Despite the efforts of the Roman Catholic Church to bring back the importance of Easter Sunday, for the Mexican people Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are still the highlights of Holy Week. When people leave the chapels after the last Good Friday service they feel that Holy Week is over and go back to their everyday life.
Only the Protestant communities share the ancient tradition of celebrating Easter as the perfect climax of the Holy Week. I believe that there is a good reason for this. Mexico as a nation hasn’t fully lived the Easter experience. We are still in the Calvary stage. Violence, corruption, poverty, injustice etc. are still our daily bread. Now 2012 brings the hope that we can attain the Easter experience. We are looking forward to the presidential elections and the fulfillment of the Mayan prophecies. We pray for the end of Passion stage and the arrival of a joyous Easter Season. Happy Easter!